Designing Sustainable Production and Distribution Scenarios for the Beef and Pork Supply Chains in Brazil

Abstract

Due to the intensive use of natural resources in food production in Brazil and the consequent air and water pollution, sustainable production is high on the agenda of businesses and policy makers. This paper designs sustainable production and distribution scenarios for the beef and pork supply chains in Brazil, covering Planet, People and Profit aspects. A case study design is employed in a multi-phase qualitative approach, consisting of two rounds of interviews to pursue the final design of six feasible scenarios for the beef and pork chains. Three sustainable production and distribution scenarios for beef are designed: intensification, local production and sustainable operations and integrated land use, and three for pork: integration of animal and crop production, sophistication and balanced sustainability.
The core improvements that can be extracted from the scenarios are: increased chain collaboration, information sharing in the chain, and governmental involvement in the Brazilian beef and pork supply chains. A major value of the paper lays in the three-phase methodology set-up. This paper will also contribute to the debate on sustainable improvements feasible in these Brazilian food chains.